TEACHING KINDNESS AND COMPASSION

 by Pam Everhardt Bloom  Rowan Public Library

Children amaze me. My current read, Far & Away, Reporting from the Brink of Change: Seven Continents, Twenty-Five Years by Andrew Solomon, reminded me once again that children are listening even when you think it’s of no interest to them or beyond their scope of understanding. Solomon’s son George, a seasoned world traveler at five, quickly answered, “Syria,” as the place he would choose to visit if he could go anywhere in the world. His parents were somewhat perplexed and immediately asked why. George’s wise response was, “Someone has to tell those people that what they’re doing is inappropriate behavior.” These words of a young child are testimony to the power of words and our response.  A good story can open hearts and create dialogue. With the school year nearly over, summer vacation approaching, and many children hearing news not necessarily chosen by their parents, now may be the perfect opportunity to share a meaningful story with a child. The following books from the juvenile collection at RPL may offer insight and discussion for exploring different people, places and some hard to explain behaviors from our shared American history.

Newbery Medalist Lynne Rae Perkins’ juvenile novel Nuts to You is a timely story for today. More than a simple story about squirrels, Perkins examines how we accept differences in others. Her imaginative story includes factual information and charming illustrations rolled into this rollicking adventure. The colorful back cover says it all. “In which four squirrels find out what they’re made of: Friendship. Courage. Big ideas. Also, nuts! (And I mean that in a good way).” The squirrels and their story are very believable and Perkins explains new words and concepts to young readers with friendly author notes children will love. You and your child will find many parallels between the animal actions and our human race, leading to interesting conversations about life.

Another exciting adventure, The Secret Mission of William Tuck by Eric Pierpoint, is a story of the American Revolution. William Tuck, 12 years old, is set on justice after his brother is killed by British soldiers. War time circumstances and a mysterious watch lead him into a network of spies and a journey to General Washington himself. This tale accurately describes the peril of the day with descriptive lessons in writing secret messages and traveling in disguise.  More importantly, the everyday dilemmas faced by Loyalists and Patriots alike are a central theme of the book. 

Crow by Barbara Wright tells the story of Moses, a young boy living in Wilmington, N.C. in 1898. Growing up in a household where Dad is one of the first African American Aldermen on City Council and grandmother a former slave, Moses finds it hard to understand the racism he faces regularly. The book continues this coming of age tale with an accurate description of the Wilmington Race Riot, the only coup d’état in U.S. history – a story that may be new to many adults.

Another black spot in American History is chronicled through the eyes of 12 year old Tomi Itano during WWII in Red Berries, White Clouds, Blue Sky. Sandra Dallas portrays the realities of life for Japanese Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Beginning with her father’s imprisonment and the family’s eventual government dictated removal to a “relocation camp” in Colorado, Tomi’s story spans the years of 1942 – 1945 and chronicles why she is truly American and proud of it.

A more contemporary novel, Return to Sender, covers summer 2005 - summer 2006. Award winning author Julia Alverez’s two characters, Mari, a migrant girl, and Tyler, a Vermont farm boy, struggle with the dilemma of obeying the law and taking care of one’s family. Part of Mari’s family are in the U.S. illegally, meanwhile Tyler finds his law-abiding family turning a blind eye to immigration issues in order to save their farm. You won’t forget their story.

These books, like travel, may raise as many questions as they answer. Five year old George’s statement of changing inappropriate behaviors may seem simplistic. Even so, we must not forget that it is George’s honest perspective from his life experiences. Even if our life doesn’t offer travel opportunities or a magic carpet to the past, we can keep reading. The right book can offer insight into another mind or time.  Like travel, books can help us see the world through someone else’s eyes.  Let RPL help bring kindness, compassion and a greater love and understanding of others through the books you select to share with the children in your life.

Granddaughter Gracie, 7, heard a story recently and it was apparent that it made a deep impression. After listening to her detailed retelling and the life lesson learned, it reminded me of morals I still remember from traditional fables such as The Tortoise and the Hare or The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Other classics such as The Giving Tree by Silverstein (1964) or The Secret Garden by Burnett (1910) have left imprints on minds for generations. A good story can open hearts and create dialogue. With the school year nearly over, summer vacation approaching, and the election process in full swing, the following books from the juvenile collection at RPL offer insight and discussion for you and your child to explore together.

Another good adventure, The Secret Mission of William Tuck by Eric Pierpoint is a story of the American Revolution. William Tuck, 12 years old, is set on justice after his brother is killed by British soldiers. War time circumstances and a mysterious watch lead him into a network of spies and a journey to General Washington himself. This tale accurately describes the peril of the day with some exciting lessons in writing secret messages and operating in disguise.  More importantly, the everyday dilemmas faced by Loyalists and Patriots are a central theme of the book. 

 

 

 

Featured Collections on NC Digital Library

by Edward Hirst  Rowan Public Library

Have you seen the Featured Collections on the NC Digital Library website? Featured Collections revolve around a theme and are generally available for a limited amount of time. These collections can contain downloadable Audiobooks, EBooks, and magazines. They are available for checkout by anyone with a library card number and PIN from Rowan Public Library at this web address: ncdigital.lib.overdrive.com/

Spring is in the Air is made up of 221 titles that cover subjects such as Travel, Nature, Gardening, and Home Design and Décor.  In the book The Backyard Homestead Book of Building Projects by Spike Carlsen you will find 76 simple, illustrated instructions to a build a variety of projects including plant supports, a greenhouse, or a chicken coop. All of the projects are written for novices using basic hand tools.

NC Middle School Battle of the Books contains 40 titles in Audio and EBook formats.  All of the titles for the 2016 edition are available except Schooled by Gordon Korman and A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen. Most titles can be checked out in either eBook or audiobook format. While it is a shared collection with other libraries, we also have some titles only available for our users through the library’s Advantage account.  Logging in with your Rowan Public Library card number automatically makes these titles available for you, no special login is required.

Reading Hamilton: The Musical is another Featured Collection on the NCDL website. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow is the inspiration for the hit Broadway musical Hamilton! and is available in both audio and eBook formats. Other titles in this collection include Duel with the Devil,  the story of how political rivals Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr teamed up to take on America’s first sensational murder mystery and The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution, 1783-1789 by Joseph J. Ellis.

All of these titles are available for reading and listening on a wide variety of personal devices such as phones, tablets, and mp3 players. Remember there are never any lost items or late fees with digital checkouts.

Transform Your Garden with Topiary

 by Marissa Creamer  Rowan Public Library

Welcome to Grimloch Lane, where something magical is about to happen. Grimloch Lane is a drab, gray place until a stranger arrives and transforms the trees into an amazing menagerie of animals.  “The Night Gardener,” by brothers Terry and Eric Fan, is a children’s picture book that everyone can enjoy. As folks on Grimloch Lane trudge about with downcast eyes, a man appears carrying a ladder and some tools. He passes the orphanage, where William is drawing an owl in the dirt with a stick. As night falls, the mysterious stranger sets up his ladder beneath a glowing moon and goes to work on a tree outside the orphanage. The next morning, William is astonished to see that a “wise owl had appeared overnight, as if by magic.” Neighbors gather to marvel at this sight—something unusual is definitely happening on Grimloch Lane. William is filled with excitement as he wonders what will happen next, and this excitement spreads through the town as each morning, a new creature appears in the trees. Soon, the town is filled with life, as children play outside and neighbors visit and spruce up their homes. The text is sparse, but the illustrations are filled with rich detail. Readers will share in the anticipation as each new topiary creation is revealed and the town is transformed.

Topiary, the art of training and trimming plants, trees, or shrubs into ornamental shapes, has a long history. The Romans perfected the art in the first century, and it flourished again in 17^th century England. Topiary spread to Colonial America, and there is an ongoing revival in the enduring art of topiary today.  You can learn more about this form of living sculpture with “Topiary and the Art of Training Plants,” by David Joyce. This is a complete guide with step-by step illustrations that will provide a wealth of ideas for topiary in your own garden, from simple geometric shapes to fanciful animals.

 In “The Art of Creative Pruning: Inventive Ideas for Training and Shaping Trees and Shrubs” author Jake Hobson draws on both eastern and western topiary styles and teaches a new approach to ornamental pruning. The beautifully illustrated book features hedges inscribed with words, a tree snipped to resemble the toppling tiers of a wedding cake, and boxwoods trimmed into Russian nesting dolls.

Watch a topiary artist at work in the documentary “A Man Named Pearl,” the story of Pearl Fryar of Bishopville, South Carolina. The self-taught Fryar has created a 3-acre topiary garden out of a former cornfield using mainly cast-off plants from garden centers. His initial goal was to win Yard of the Month from the local garden club; today, people come from around the world to tour his garden, and he is known internationally in the garden world as well as the art world.

All of these topiary titles are available at Rowan Public Library, where you will find a wonderful collection of materials covering all manner of gardening topics.

Mothers

by Paul Birkhead Rowan Public Library
     
    Mother’s Day falls on May 8th this year.  It has been just over one hundred years since President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation ordering its annual observance on the second Sunday in May.  It is a good day to honor our living mothers by treating them to a nice meal or giving them a special gift.  It can also serve as a day to reflect on the mothers who are no longer with us.  Rowan Public Library can help you celebrate the mother figures in your life.

    Since President Wilson gets the credit for making Mother’s Day “official,” it often makes people wonder about his mother and what type of relationship he had with her.  The library has several biographies on Woodrow Wilson and you can read all about his childhood.  In Wilson, by A. Scott Berg, Woodrow’s mother Jessie was described as a reserved, but loving woman.  In numerous ways, she made a profound impact on the life of the future President, and Woodrow later confessed he grew up as a “laughed-at mamma’s boy.”

    If hearing the affect Woodrow Wilson’s mother had on his character intrigues you, check out First Mothers: The Women Who Shaped the Presidents by Bonnie Angelo.  An older book, First Mothers examines the mother-son dynamic of most of America’s 20th-century presidents.  From Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Bill Clinton, future presidents often had tough childhoods (poverty, death, loneliness) and strained relationships with their fathers.  However, most also shared a strong bond with their mothers and remained devoted sons the rest of their lives.  These women, though not perfect by any means, each had a profound impact on their sons and influenced the course of American history in the process.

    Several other books in the library’s collection highlight the lives of mothers in more current settings.  The Rainbow Comes and Goes is a brand new book written by Anderson Cooper and his mother Gloria Vanderbilt.  After suffering a near-fatal illness around her 91st birthday, Gloria and Anderson began a year-long mission to get to know each other better.  While both are well-known celebrities and have very interesting stories to tell, their relationship and a desire to leave nothing unasked or unsaid can apply to any one of us with mothers still living.

    What I Told My Daughter is a collection of essays edited by Nina Tassler and published to provide advice and encouragement to the upcoming generation of women.  Tassler’s book has more than fifty contributors including many influential women leaders from a variety of fields including politics, sports, and entertainment.

    Optimism for Autism is an inspiring book by local author Susan King.  A few years after her son Patrick was born, testing determined that he had autism. Immediately, fear and worries about the future filled Susan’s mind.  However, thanks to a loving husband and a deep faith in God, Susan’s journey of sorrow turned to one of happiness as she embraced God’s plan for their lives.  The struggles the King family faced over the years were mighty, but Susan tells a powerful tale which is still unfolding to this day.  Patrick currently attends Pfeiffer University and is an accomplished swimmer.  He helped his mother with the book by adding sections written from his perspective.

    Mothers have a special role in this world.  While we may take them for granted sometimes, we should always use this day to honor or remember them.  Stop by Rowan Public Library soon and read all about mothers.   
         

Echoes of the Past

 by Gretchen Beilfuss Witt Rowan Public Library

                Looking at the political arena from recent months brings to mind the idea that the founding fathers had of having an educated citizenry.    It is often difficult to keep up with the barrage of information available, but it behooves us to try to "catch up" and understand how situations became what they are as well as understanding the history of certain countries or peoples.  To this end, the library has recently acquired a couple of wonderful series of books.  These sets are specifically designed to appeal to young adults; however, they can be a terrific resource for everyone.   Both series are currently located in the new book section.

                 The first series "Cause & Effect In History" examines particular events or conflicts - for example the American Revolutionary War or the Fall of Rome - giving a general overview of the events, but also analyzing the facts,  giving examples and mixing primary and secondary documentation.   The "Cause and Effect:  World War II"  includes timelines, period photographs and sidebars which look at African Americans in the War, the Versailles Treaty, Pearl Harbor, and the invasion of the Soviet Union.   It also looks at how World War II, the NATO action in Korea and the differences of the two allies, the US and the Soviet Union, influenced the Cold War.   Another book in the series looks at the September 11 Attacks and examines how the Afghan-Soviet War and other Middle East conflicts may have contributed to that fateful day.

                The second set of books deals with "Major Nations of the Modern Middle East" including Iraq, Turkey, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.    Understanding the Middle East is so important to the current political and military situation.   For example, many Americans understanding of Iraq begins with the 2003 invasion of the international coalition, yet this area has a long and complicated history.  Once known as Mesopotamia and identified as "the cradle of civilization" it has seen much, the Sumerian Empire, then the Assyrian, then the Persians controlled it only to fall to Alexander the Great.  By 1530 the Ottomans control this area and did so until after the First World War when the country of Iraq was actually formed under the Big Four at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.  The British hand picked the ruling monarch from the Saudi Hashemite family despite the opposition of the Iraqi Shi'i and Kurds.   The book "Iraq" goes on to describe the history of the people, the religious, political and economic concerns, the significant communities and customs and their foreign relations.  It is a solid but succinct overview of the salient points of a country's history and the effects on today's global state of affairs.  Each book in the series gives similar information and lends itself to understanding the entire region and its complex interactions.